Liara Houndsbane
Liara Houndsbane is the sister of Lord Simeon Houndsbane. An extremely potent pyromancer, her emotionally unstable condition led her to be left within a secluded tower within Hound's Ward. Escaping during the Second Range Rebellion, Liara sided against her brother after fearing he had gone mad with power. Slated to take over the House of Houndsbane, Liara has slowly gained more control over her emotions after being exposed to battle during her period under the Blades of Greymane. After her brother's death during the Battle of Mistvale, Liara was appointed the leader of the House of Houndsbane and made Baroness of Fang's Grip. She later took the oath of the Blades of Greymane following the end of the Second Range Rebellion. Seeking to serve in a more proactive role as well as redeem the Houndsbane name, Liara has also joined the Order of the Raven (partially to also gain a better grasp of her magic). Since her joining, Liara has taken an interest in the study of Frost magic, so as to be able to douse her flames should something go awry. History Liara Houndsbane is the second child of Kelrick Houndsbane and his wife, Teresa Houndsbane. Having been raised as a relatively normal nobleman's daughter at first, it was found that Liara was adept with magic at a young age. Rather than seek to find a tutor for his daughter to control her rising powers over flame, Kelrick sought to smother Liara's talent; often scolding her or going out of his way to prevent her from showing her magic if she attempted to use it. As she grew and her beauty became evident, Kelrick was further pushed into suppressing Liara's magical potency out of fear of turning away potential suitors. This became especially clear after an incident in Liara's youth. Towards her eighth year, Liara was brought alongside her family to a festival within Hound's Ward. While bewildered and amazed by the sights at first, Liara was separated from her family as she wandered away from them. Scared of all the noises and people, Liara began to have an uncontrollable tantrum, sparking her magical powers. Within moments of the beginning of her outburst, she'd lit a quarter of the district ablaze and accidentally killed nearby villagers. When the fire was contained, Kelrick was alerted that Liara was at the epicenter. Publically, it was declared a tragic fire, caused by over zealous performers. From that day forth, Liara was locked away in Hound's Ward's furthest tower within the castle; allowed little room to leave or visitation from others. With no one else but her self, Liara drew inward and found comfort within reading. What little separation she had from this came in the form of her brother, Simeon, who visited her extremely often. As her only friend, Simeon acted as the cure for the young Liara's need for companionship and guidance, something she was given from no one else. Liara eventually began to tamper with her magic, creating a small flame dog by the name of Flicker and a cat by the name of Ignis. Making great measures to ensure her father never found them, the two magical companions offered further comfort to the aging Liara. As time progressed, Liara's sheltered living became a troubling matter, as she'd learned little in the ways of interaction with others. Unwilling to allow her child to be seen as introverted, Teresa ensured her daughter the finest in court etiquette to attract a proper suitor, resulting in a very proper demeanor. Even still, without proper interaction and growth, Liara's somewhat childish nature tended to shine through; much to her father's chagrin. This perceived lack of growth by potential suitors often led to a denial of marriage proposals, further infuriating Kelrick. When the Horde invaded Gilneas, Liara now sixteen, Kelrick immediately rushed to Lord Xavier Gregor's side, as was expected of him. Kelrick, having little in the ways of true combat experience, perished on the streets of Brandon's Stead. Liara's mother, Teresa, attempted to escape across the sea with the other refugees, though her ship was destroyed on the trip. With no one left, Simeon took hold of the House and his visits to Liara became less frequent. What visits he did make were often awkward and curt, refusing to divulge information of his life; where as before he would tell her everything. Curiosity eating away at her, Liara began to make frequent departures from her prison home. Venturing into the lands beyond Hound's Ward, Liara was terrified of the damage that was wrought upon the Ashen Coast, bewildered that she'd missed nearly the entirety of it. Upon discovery of Liara's expeditions, Simeon reinforced his father's policy out of fear of her tantrums; though he allowed greater freedom around the castle. As Simeon grew into a more cynical and ambitious nature, Liara withdrew from her brother and returned to solitude; harboring a suspicion to her brothers ever changing goals. At intervals of the day, she noticed more and more armed men amassing within Hound's Ward, despite there being a time of peace. Ultimately, her suspicions of Simeon were proved true when she discovered plans to assassinate Duke Berenal Grayblade and Lord Adrian Gregor alongside their companions. Deciding against her brother, Liara sped off to warn the duchy of her brother's betrayal. Taking an old horse, Thunder, Liara escaped Hound's Ward in the dead of night with her brother's plans, bearing nothing other than her word and the clothes she had taken. Having left in such a haste, Liara was not without error and was followed. Rescued by the Duke and his forces, Liara successfully informed them of her brother's betrayal and later joined with them after displays of her potent pyromancy. Prone to emotional meltdowns and panic attacks, Liara was ill suited for the battlefield until the eventual death of her brother in the siege of Mistvale. Beside herself with grief and anger, Liara took charge of her situation for the first time in her life. Twisting her emotions to her own advantage, Liara was able to successfully channel and manipulate her magic against her enemies and eventually survived the Second Range Rebellion to become the Baroness of the House of Houndsbane and the Barony of Fang's Grip. Dissatisfied with herself, Liara enlisted as well into the growing Order of the Raven to seek training for her magic, something her father had denied her so many years ago. A woman fresh into her twenties, she entered into a short time relationship with Daryl Lockewood as the rebellion drew to a close, though it fell apart before anything serious could occur and they took on a more platonic friendship. Lady Houndsbane currently serves as the leader of Fang's Grip, seeking to redeem her family's name after her brother had tarnished it with his treason. She currently lives with her only remaining family member, her "cousin" (in truth her nephew) Kryen Houndsblood. As the true parentage of Kryen is unknown to many, the boy of six has been spared the animosity that would be gained from knowledge of his father. In dire straits, Kryen is to be legitimized as heir of Houndsbane in the case of Liara's demise. Description Immediately upon seeing the woman, the first thing noticable would likely be her hair. Platinum blonde tresses flow loftily down the woman's head in a billowing, slightly curled at the tip, fashion. Clean and cared for lovingly, her hair could easily trail to the midsection of her back when straightened, though bits of it often lay over her shoulders. Her face shares the same complextion as most of her body, slightly pale from a lack of exposure to the sun. Soft features meet with striking amber eyes. Her teeth were white and unchipped, perfectly straight and well cared for. All together, she was a beauty by most standards. Liara's body was kept in a consistent fit shape. Soft skin and untoned arms, leaning to well kept legs and an hour glass figure, the woman's body was somewhat skinny if nothing else, as if she'd skipped quite a few meals. Her midsection was flat, with nothing particularly standing out to her physique in terms of muscle; clearly showing she was not one built for melee combat. She held no blemishes or scars, though her hands, if exposed, did show slight markings of healed burn scars. Liara's voice rang out with a distinct Gilnean accent, light and easy to understand. She spoke with a usually bubbily or happy disposition, betraying to her somewhat whimsical nature in terms of mannerisms. When needed, however, she could easily adopt an icey sort of disposition, hiding her true emotions or intent in a flash. All together, Liara was a stateswoman of high birth and breed; having been bred with the mentality she must be ideal; regardless of how that harmed her. Category:Gilnean Category:Human Category:House of Houndsbane Category:Characters